Stage backdrop



March 2, 1954 GANZ STAGE BACKDROP Filed March 12, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

AZEZBY ay/V2 19 i Patented Mar. 2, 1954 STAGE BACKDROP Albert Ganz, North Bergen, N. J. Application March 15, 1952,.Serial No. 276,137

1 Claim.

This invention relates to stage back drops or backgrounds such as are provided inconjunction with an act or performance onthe. stage of a theater, although the invention is. also adapted to be provided in miniature-as a toy. or amusement. device.

One object of the invention is the provision of such abackground which, when viewed by an observer positioned in front thereof while a light such as,.for example, a spotlight is projected thereon, particularly in an otherwise darkened interior, will give the appearance of a glowing rainbow and of birdsfiying in an are just above the rainbow, the .latter also being preferably glowing. The glowing effect of the rainbow and the birds is achieved by meansof acoating of phosphorescent material or paint of suitably mixed colors to obtain the desiredcolors of the rainbow, or other desired combinations; in fact, the rainbow? and thebirds will actually glow and give off variegated colors in the 'dark'without the spotlight but theefiect is enhanced with the latter so that when the spotlight is projected upon only a small area as, for example, upon a star performer on the stage, the remainder of the phosphorescent background will glow. The effect is one of great beauty and appeal.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for attaining the above results including means for activating figures representing birds to move as above-mentioned in simulation of birds in flight.

The above as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor in tended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction shown or described except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a. theater stage having the backdrop of this invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the complete backdrop as a unit, in which form it may be provided on a theater stage or, in miniature, as a toy.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the said backdrop unit, with parts broken away to expose other parts, and partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fi 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on theline 5-45 of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the lined-8 of Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral l0 represents a base on which the entire backdrop, which may be unitary with the base, is supported. A wall ll extends from the forward edge of the base and the intermediate portion 12' is arcuately rounded at: the top with only the end portions I3, which are adapted to'be concealed behind the wings of the stage, whole or part, of a relatively lower height'than the arched portion. Painted on the front surface of the wall II is a representation of' a rainbow [4, the various arcuate stripes thereof being provided in the form of suitablycolored phosphorescent paint.

Behind the wall I l is a second and higher .wall l5 having a continuous or endless slot I'B'cut therethroug-h, consisting of a lower horizontal section I1 and an upper arcuate section 18. "A third wall [9, rearward of the wall [5 and supported on one or more uprights 20, serves by means of a plurality of horizontal brackets 2|,

to hold the central portion 22 within the slot I6, upright within the plane of the wall I5. The wall I9 has, except for its thickness, the same conformation and dimensions as the cut-out portion 22 of the wall l5 and the lower horizontal edge 23 thereof lies in the same horizontal plane as the lower horizontal edge 24 of the portion 22.

The surrounding edge of the wall i9 serves as a continuous guide or race for a sprocket chain 25 of more or less standard construction. To facilitate movement of the chain around the smooth edge of the wall 19, the transverse pins which, of course, are standard parts of sprocket chains, are provided in the form of ball bearing rollers 26 as shown in Fig. 5. At one end of the wall [9 a cut-out 28 is provided therein, in which a sprocket wheel 21 is rotatably held on the end of a shaft 29. The wheel 21 is shown only for one end of this wall, in Fig. 3, as it should not be necessary to repeat the showing of such a wheel at the other end if such should be desired. However, the shaft 29 of the wheel 21 is elongated and extends rearward, and on its rear end is a pulley 30 connected by a belt 3| to the shaft of an electric motor 32. The motor thus serves to drive the chain 25 around the edge of the wall l9.

At spaced intervals along the chain 25, stems 33 are provided rigid with the chain and extending horizontally therefrom through the continuous slot l6. Figures representing birds in flight,

shown at 34, are rigid on the free ends of these stems and are, hence, positioned in front of the wall l5. The outer surfaces of these figures, which face forward of the stage, are also suitably coated with phosphorescent paint. It is to be noted that although the centers of curvature of the slot 16 and the arched portion l2 of the wall II are in alignment, the radius of curvature of the former is greater than that of the latter, so that the path of the moving bird figures 34 is spaced from the rainbow l4 and the birds are thus visible above the latter.

All of the bird figures are rigid on their stems 33 and the stems are rigid on the chain 25, and all the figures are positioned so as to be moved by the chain in a continuously forward direction. Thus, in the illustration, the birds 34 will move from right to left, Fig. 2, through the arc l8 of the slot l6, and they will move from left to right along the horizontal slot [1. However, since these figures are concealed from observers when they move in the slot 11, by the wall H, the birds will appear to be in continuous arcuate flight along the slot is, from right to left.

In practice, all surfaces of the walls l and i l except for the rainbow 14, will be covered or coated with a light-absorbing black coating so that they will be invisible to the spectators, and with proper design and construction of the device the edges of the slot 16 will also be invisible. That side of the sprocket chain 25 which faces forward toward the wall I5 may also be coated with a black light-absorbing coating.

Thus a very effective backdrop has been provided, either for use on a theater stage or for use as part of a toy or amusement device. Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

A backdrop comprising a base, a front wall extending upward from said base, the upper intermediate portion of said front wall being arcuate, a second wall positioned behind and parallel with Number Name Date 1,121,945 Smith Dec. 22, 1914- 2,066,239 Tahsler Dec. 29, 1936 2,225,307 Kreeger Dec. 1'7, 1940 said front wall, said second wall extending upward from said base and having a continuous endless slot therethrough comprising an upper arcuate portion concentric with but of greater diameter than said arcuate upper portion of said front wall and a lower horizontal portion extending between the ends of said upper arcuate portion, support means positioning the inner portion of said second wall defined by said slot in the same plane as said second wall, a plurality of spaced stems extending rearward through said slot, figures such as, for example, those of birds in flight rigid on the forward ends of said stems, and means positioned rearward of said second wall for moving said stems continuously unidirectionally along said slot, said means comprising a sprocket chain having the rear ends of said stems rigid therewith, a third wall having the same conformation as said inner portion of said second wall positioned rearward of and parallel with said second wall and with the surrounding edge thereof in alignment with said slot, supports supporting said third wall above said base, said sprocket chain being trained about said surrounding edge of said third wall, said third wall having a cut-out at one end thereof at the intersection of said horizontal slot portion with said arcuate slot portion, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted in said cut-out in the plane of said third wall, said chain being trained about said sprocket wheel, a shaft extending from said sprocket wheel, and means for rotating said shaft.

ALBERT GANZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

